The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Sydney office teamed up with the The Royal Thai Consulate Sydney, ThaiTrade and Thailand Board of Investment to support Sydney volunteer group Friends of Chowder Bay in a beach and underwater cleanup event.
Team Thailand managed a topside beach and park cleanup, while SCUBA divers and snorkelers took the plunge to remove underwater debris. The Sydney Harbour-side location is a popular spot for picnickers, divers and fisherfolk, and unfortunately, not all visitors leave this beautiful location as pristine as they found it.
Chowder Bay attracts divers and snorkelers from all over Sydney, drawn by the incredible macro marine biodiversity. The range of tiny critters here includes several species of frogfish and nudibranchs, decorator and hermit crabs, moray eels, several species of leatherjackets, blennies, rays and it’s famous for its population of seahorses. The site is an important breeding spot for the endangered Sydney Seahorse, with a program in place to help boost numbers, with protective enclosures or ‘Seahorse Hotels’ installed which are monitored by SEALIFE Sydney Aquarium.
Volunteers endured some challenging weather conditions, with intervals of heavy rain, brilliant sunshine and strong wind gusts at times but overall a job well done by divers and topside crew.
Divers retrieved an estimated 3KM of fishing line, 32 lures, 30 chemical light sticks, 90 sinkers. On the beach and underwater, 280 cigarette butts, over 100 plastic disposable picnic items including 62 confection sticks, 44 cutlery items and 14 straws. Over 400 plastic fragments, 270 plastic film remnants (lots of bait bags) and a lot of building/construction plastic waste – 46 items including tile separators and drill plugs.
Volunteers were rewarded with a delicious Thai lunch provided by TAT, accompanied by craft beer and gin & tonic mixers donated by Lord Howe Island Brewing Company.
To find out more about Friends of Chowder Bay, join the Facebook Community Group or follow them on Instagram.